Ottawa Citizen
Dear Mr. Egan,

My name is Ed. Rockburne, retired Sgt from the RCMP who has
spent the last 31/2 years researching and trying to bring to the
publics attention, that special testing of older drivers is based
on nothing more than common myth and discrimination.

All major research in Canada , Europe , the United States &
Australia, not to mention the Ontario Ministry of Transportations own
statistic, all show that the older drivers are the safest on the roads.
This research also shows that there is no valid and accurate test for
dementia, despite the fact that three Provinces are now using faulty
dementia tests to take the mobility away from older drivers. Health
Canada has stated that this leads to ISOLATION, DEPRESSION, ALCOHOLISM
& SUICIDE. Pretty nice for a civilized nation to promote.

The Ministry of Transportation, trying to distance it self from
the Simard MD, dementia test being used in Alberta and British Columbia
at the prodding of a couple from the University of Alberta who say they
designed it, and even Bonnie and Allen Dobbs admit that at best it is
only 50% accurate. Now the MTO have done away with anything that resembles
a driver exam, and has adopted two segments from another defunct dementia
test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.
1) Draw a clock showing 20 minutes past ten, and
2) Find the letter H hidden amongst numbers.
If the entire dementia test is considered useless by the professionals,
how can the MTO say “ Two segments of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
is accurate and can identify those that shouldn’t be driving.

A FIVE YEAR STUDY by a federal Government sponsored research of older
drivers has already gone public twice stating that the OLDER DRIVERS ARE
THE SAFEST ON THE ROADS, probably due to experience and self regulating
their own driving. There are massive statistics supporting the older drivers
can be found on the website stopelderdriverabuse.ca . Once you see those
statistics, there is only one conclusion a person can arrive at, and that
is, this is DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OLDER DRIVERS, is based on old myths.

Please try and help correct this myth, it is killing many of our older people
by removing their mobility and causing alienation from friends and society.

Yours Sincerely,
Ed. Rockburne, Sgt. RCMP, Retired.
As published in the OTTAWA CITIZEN 22/03/16